Do you all remember the Poe from the other day? The video from the girl thanking God for sending a message to the atheists in Japan by sending the earthquake and tsunami that turned out to be brilliant satire from someone affiliated with Landover Baptist? The one that had some people just outraged that someone would even make a joke like that too soon, too soon?! As I said then, the reason that Poe was successful was precisely because it was an expected message. Those of us who pay attention to the Religious Right on a regular basis were entirely unsurprised to hear a person claiming that this awful natural disaster was all part of “God’s plan,” that he was exacting retribution, etc. In short, it was nothing Pat Robertson didn’t fart out of his mouth after Hurricane Katrina.
Well, now we have a real one. Meet El Paso city council candidate Malcolm McGregor, III:
[O]ne of those anti-gay candidates, Malcolm McGregor III, told ABC 7 he believes the tsunami and earthquake in Japan were a curse from God.
“Japan had built tsunami walls along their coasts but this tsunami was bigger than that. No matter what you say, they either weren’t blessed with protection or they were cursed with an earthquake,” McGregor said. “God did say, Christ did say that earthquakes would increase in the last days and that’s what we’re seeing.”
McGregor is part of the group El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values, which sponsored a successful ballot initiative to rescind DP benefits in November, after the benefits were approved by the City Council.
Surprise, surprise, surprise. It’s a religious bigot secretly rejoicing in other peoples’ suffering because he thinks it’s all a part of his god’s master plan for retribution. These people are sick.
My best advice to gay people in Texas is to get out.
Jesus didn’t say that the quakes were a curse, it was said so the you would “know” that Jesus is Lord. The message that Jesus gives is of salvation and meaning not unmerciful judgment and cursing as many “Christian denominations” would have you to believe.
Do not mistake the meaning of Jesus’ words. He is not condemning and judging but gathering in his beloved.
The mention of what would be happening when HIS arms are open wide to receive and comfort. Grace and Mercy came through Jesus Christ! No matter what the disaster or calamity, Jesus is there to receive and comfort. Thank you Jesus!
A councilman??? a Christian???? your words reveal very plainly who and what you are! He that hath ears to hear let him hear! Salvation is by Jesus, to ALL!
You are very shouty, like “GRRR!”
Also, earthquakes don’t tell anybody about God, or Jesus, or Zeus, or Inanna, or anything else. Those are beliefs that might have flown several thousand years ago, but no, earthquakes tell us about PLATE TECTONICS.
Who is this Plate Tectonics? My Gospels say matthew, mark, luke, and john, but not the john that jesus loved, the other john.
Charles said “The message that Jesus gives is of salvation and meaning not unmerciful judgment…”.
Riiiight. ‘Cause eternally toruturing people for thought crimes isn’t unmerciful. And Jesus offers to “save” you from the eternal torture he’ll inflict upon you if you don’t accept his “protection” – just like the “protection” rackets run by the Mafia.
@Ben:
All the times in the Bible when “The earth shook due to God or whatever bullhonkey”? (Direct quote, btw)
Those were earthquakes, caused by the rubbing together of plates, as a way to release pressure. It’s understandable that a people who didn’t understand faultlines or, ahem, plate tectonics, would attribute them to gods, but um.
Yeah, earthquakes! What a world, man.
Every time I rub plates together it makes awful sounds and it scratches the plates.
That”s why I don’t do it.